NATATORES. 221 



said by Mr. Yarrell, in his admirable treatise on 

 British Birds, with regard to this Swan, and so fully 

 and ably has that author described the swanneries 

 in Middlesex, whether belonging to the Crown, to 

 private individuals, or public companies, that I can 

 here add nothing which would not be a repetition. 



As I have drawn attention, however, in many 

 instances to the notes of birds, I may now include 

 that of the Swan. This bird being identified with 

 Orpheus, and called also the bird of Apollo, the god 

 of Music, powers of song have been often attributed 

 to it and as often denied. It is, however, perfectly 

 true that it has a soft low voice, rather plaintive, 

 and with little variet}^, but not disagreeable. I have 

 heard it often in the spring, and sometimes later in 

 the season, when moving slowly about with its 

 young. Col. Hawker, in his ' Instructions to Young 

 Sportsmen,' says : " The only note which I ever 

 heard tlie Wild Swan in winter utter, is his well- 

 known ' hoop.' But one summer evening I was 

 amused with watching and listening to a domesti- 

 cated one as he swam up and down the water in the 

 Regent's Park. He turned up a sort of melody 

 made with two notes, C, and the minor third E fiat, 

 and kept working his head, as if delighted with his 

 own performance." 



The melody, taken down on the spot by a 

 first-rate professor, Auguste Bertini, was as fol- 

 lows : — 



u 3 



